1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to flood damage prevention and, more particularly, is concerned with a removable flood protection device which is a self-contained unit adapted for temporary emergency use in doorways of homes and commercial buildings and is also concerned with a method of installing such device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Extensive damage to the interiors, furnishings and equipment of homes and commercial buildings can result from flood water inundation of only moderate depth, for instance, from only a few inches to less than a foot. Moderate flooding in this range occasionally occurs, and in some cases recurs, in many localities of the country, causing great hardship and financial loss.
Different approaches to preventing inundation of flood water are known in the prior art. The traditional approach is to use bags filled with sand to build a dike about the perimeter of the building. However, this approach is costly in terms of the time, materials and transportation required to bag the sand, haul it to the building to be protected, and unload the bags and build the dike. Furthermore, this flood prevention method is very time consuming. Another less costly variation of this approach is to only build sand bag barriers around the doorways of the building. However, the construction of an adequate seal using sand bags requires skill and care in the placement of each bag. Also, with both of these approaches, a considerable amount of sand must be on hand before the flood waters rise and must be disposed of after the flood waters have receded. Further, the amount of labor involved with this method of flood prevention is considerable. Lastly, this method of flood prevention is very time consuming and, therefore, is not always feasible to be used on short notice.
Another approach is to permanently install a conversion channel or frame about the lower portion of the building doorway and then keep a removable panel on hand for insertion into the frame in order to quickly provide a barrier across the lower portion of the access opening to the entry of flood water. Representative of this approach are the arrangements disclosed in U.S. patents to Carlson (U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,010) and Maskell (U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,081). While these arrangements appear to have advantages over the traditional sand bag approach, they embody common shortcomings which make them less than an optimum solution to prevention of flood damage. In addition to the above-mentioned two basic components, each of the arrangements requires the application of labor, tools and materials for accomplishing permanent installation of the conversion frame and thus a high initial investment cost. The permanently installed conversion frame must be sealed to the building structure surrounding the lower portion of the doorway in addition to the removable panel forming an effective seal when inserted in the frame. Since the frame is located outdoors, it will be subject to weathering and serve as a collector of dirt and other foreign matter and debris which could ultimately undermine its reliability and workability. Therefore, maintenance must be carried out periodically with respect to the seal between the frame and building to ensure its adequacy when a flood condition does arise. Further, the permanently installed frame will likely pose a constant safety hazard to persons entering and exiting the doorway.
Consequently, a need still exists for a different approach to flood damage prevention, one which will provide an effective barrier to entry of flood water but, at the same time, not require the high costs of permanent installation and periodic maintenance nor involve the risk of injury to persons using the doorway or damage to their clothing by the protruding permanent conversion frame once the flood emergency is over, and which may be used effectively and quickly if little advance warning is available.